The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
In common motor vehicle frame structures, cross car beams are used to connect between vehicle pillars, and to support multiple components such as steering assemblies, dashboard equipment, glove boxes, and the like. Current cross car beam designs include metal such as aluminum members selected for reduced weight, which are welded together to maximize strength. Welding of aluminum however, can result in Heat Affected Zones (HAZ's) which locally reduce the strength of the welded joint. In addition, the cost and time to prepare weld joints, which can number approximately 50 or more for a typical cross car beam, and to grind or clean the weld joints after welding to prepare for paint or a coating material can be high.
While material coatings such as a polymeric coating applied onto the aluminum structural members are known which are relied on to further reduce weight, known aluminum cross car beam assemblies having polymeric material coating applied to specific areas can be limited due to the size, complexity, cost, processes, and the like required for assembly. This field can therefore benefit from improved cross car beam designs.